Chapter XXXIV: A Fiancé's Hope
A/N: I think you all have a pretty good idea of what will happen here. *smirks* Thank you cowgirlbookworm. You've been a godsend. Looking forward to seeing what you all think! SSD
March 18th, 1913
Harry was more than pleased to have Roland and Ghislaine gone on their honeymoon. Mr. Lethbridge was going to be giving them the billiards table after an incident yesterday when they got back. He was thankful he wasn't the one who had seen them.
They'd been gone almost an hour. Cecily was cuddling next to him in the library, pressed into his side. She was completely comfortable, her head on his shoulder.
He was focusing on her hands. Cecily's left hand in particular. They were smaller than his, but a nice size for a woman's. It looked too bare, but he would be fixing that soon.
Harry had thought of a restaurant, somewhere by Cheseapeake Bay, or even one of the city's many parks. However, all of those ideas faded away with the idea to do it right here, with only her beside him. It was quiet and peaceful.
Cecily looked the most like herself in a simple light blue day dress. While Harry loved it when she was all dolled up, she was far more relaxed this way.
"Cecily, a wnewch chi briodi fi," he blurted.
Harry began patting down his pockets.
Bloody hell, he didn't have the damn ring!
Moments later...
Had she heard Harry correctly? There was no way he'd asked THAT!
After rummaging through his pocket Harry said, "Excuse me enaid, I need to go to my room to get something. And yes I did say what you think I said," he kissed her, which was full of promise before running out the door like the devil himself was chasing him.
Cecily stayed put for a moment before following him. She couldn't just sit and wait in the library over something like this! It was far too important!
She had to run to the room. The door was half open and Cecily heard him tossing things around his room, muttering in Welsh.
"Harry what on Earth are you doing," she asked as she walked in.
"Aha! There you are!" Harry had a green box in his hands.
Upon seeing her, he panicked, "Cecily go back to the library! We can't do this here!"
"Are you really asking me to marry you?"
"For fucks sake yes!" Harry shouted.
"Then it doesn't matter where you ask me. The answer will always be yes," Cecily moved closer to him smiling.
Just a little bit later...
Albert was pouring whiskey for Antin, Rosalyn, and Mina when they all heard an inhuman screech of joy loud enough to wake the dead.
"Pay up both of you," Rosalyn held out her hands to both him and her husband. Antin handed over the money with a groan.
"Why didn't you tell me Harry was going to propose," his sister groused at him with flashing eyes. He would be hearing it from her later.
"I thought you knew," Albert replied as he handed Rosalyn his part of the bet money.
"He really didn't waste any time, that's for sure," Antin looked at his watch.
"I'm not complaining, he made it time for me to win the bet," Rosalyn was grinning ear to ear, sticking the money in her purse.
"We should probably get them momentarily," Albert stated looking at his own watch. "I don't want a hurried wedding."
"I don't know. I thought you wanted grandchildren as soon as possible," Mina answered innocently.
"When I said that, I was referring to Roland and Ghislaine!" Albert quaffed the cup of whiskey in one gulp.
"Well, Ghislaine was looking a bit large..." his diabolical sister began.
"Mina!"
Erik soon walked in grinning. "Lucy's with them. She and Cecily are cooing over the ring."
"That'd better be the only cooing I hear," Albert grumbled good naturedly. Erik poured his own whiskey.
A fair amount of time passed before Albert heard footsteps coming down the hall. Quite famliar footsteps.
Lucy strode into the room with a grin: "May I present the future Mr. and Mrs. Harold Lowe!"
To cheers his daughter and future son in law entered the room with rather large smiles on their faces.
Mina was immediately on her feet, out of her chair, dragging Cecily off, "You and I have quite a bit to go over. Lucy come along!"
To Harry Albert said, "She'll be gone for quite a while. Get comfortable."
March 20th, middle of the Atlantic Ocean, afternoon on the RMS Adriatic
While he and Will were enjoying some tea, a telegram came from Harold. It was addressed to Will.
"Aren't you going to open it?" Charles wanted to know whether Cecily said yes or not.
"Good things come to those who wait," Will replied before taking a bite out of a turkey sandwich.
Not being able to wait, he grabbed the telegram, opened it and began reading it aloud:
Will, Cecily said yes! In the end I just blurted it out in the library. Nothing happened! Mina practically pounced on here the moment she saw us afterward to start planning. I've barely had much time to think. We've already sent wires to everyone in England that needed to hear, so don't be surprised if Ada knows. Lastly, Lights if you're reading this, bugger off, I sent this to Will!
Will was laughing his arse off, "He knows you well Charles!"
Smirking Charles replied, "There's only one thing left for me to do. Tell the rest of the ship Harold's good news!"
Roughly the same time in Southampton England...
Shortly after Ada and Sylvia finished up some shopping, they were taking a much-needed break at her and Will's home.
Going through the mail, she found a telegram from Washington, it was from Cecily.
"So what does Cecily have to say," Sylvia queried from where she was lounging on the couch.
Opening the telegram, Ada grinned before replying: Harold popped the question. She said yes. Also asked how I'm doing. Cecily hopes that we can come for the wedding whenever it is and that little feet are more than welcome to come along. Also that if you're here, there should be a telegram waiting for you and that she's still working on our gifts, and she'll bring them when she's here in May."
"I'll be sure to send her a reply telegram."
Ada knew Sylvia. She had a smile on her face that would not have looked out of place on Charles's.
"What are you going to put in that telegram?"
"I'm just going to ask if her father is going to need a shotgun for the wedding ceremony," her friend replied.
"Sylvia! Don't tease Cecily about sex. She'll be getting enough of that from your husband," Ada rolled her eyes.
"When he gets back, he won't get any sleep," Sylvia had a gleam in her eyes.
"Neither will you!" Ada shook her head.
"That's the plan dear; he's going to spend all night servicing me. I suggest you have Will do that as well. Soon, you'll have little time for it!"
March 21st, 1913 late afternoon/early evening
Major Brandon Stirling of the South Wales Borderers was more than happy to finally be back in England after a long posting in Australia.
The long trip home meant that he, Evelyn, and Myriah had missed Roland's wedding. Their present likely hadn't even arrived yet!
He'd just entered the house when a tiny, brown-haired comet ran into him yelling, "Papa, papa! There's a telegram from Grandma!"
Tickling her chin, Brandon grinned, "Well then, we must hurry!"
Myriah joyfully dragged him down the hallway to the sitting room where his lovely wife Evelyn was sitting. She was already reading it.
His flaxen haired wife handed him the telegram smiling, "We've got another wedding in the family."
Well, it seems that Harold Lowe is finally going to become a part of the family. Your Aunt Maeve was right all along! He proposed less than an hour after Roland and Ghislaine left for their honeymoon on the Western coast of France. No date yet, but one thing that has been decided on, would Myriah like to be a flower girl?
All my love, Mum
March 23rd, late morning almost noon New York Harbor.
Will had finally finished all of his duties for the docking of the Adriatic, the passengers were long gone.
He'd just finished up getting changed into civvies when Charles, also in civvies, poked his head in grinning like the cat that got the canary and the cream.
"Harold and Cecily are on the docks waiting for us. Aunt Mina and two of the 40 Thieves are clearly chaperoning them." Glee filled his eyes. "Hurry I have much to say to them."
"5 jokes about an early wedding/honeymoon only. Anymore, I'll drag you off by your ear!"
"I'll have to make them good ones then. Do you think they'll take us out to eat?"
"Always thinking with your stomach. But they might." Will replied to his oldest friend once they got to the main deck of the ship.
When they were down the ramp and once Lights was within semi-reasonable speaking distance he called to the newly engaged couple, "Good afternoon. I know a priest near here. You could elope now and explain later."
Before Cecily or Harold could speaking Mina asked, "Would you like to be the one to explain to my brother?"
"No he'd make me do it," Will drawled as he came level "Congratulations to you both." The pair nodded, not wanting to speak to give the other man ammunition.
"Is the wedding still in a matter of days? Sylvie will be most upset for missing it," Lights was gaining steam.
"The date hasn't been set yet. But you are invited. For the moment," Mina was glaring at Charles. That glare would stop lesser men.
"An elopement then? Wonderful," Charles ignored the older woman's glare.
"Lights you've used three. And that last one wasn't a good one. You've only got two left," Will warned.
"So you proposed in the library Harold? You did have clothes on I hope? OW!" The Lanc had to rub the back of his head after Will smacked him. Hard.
"We were both fully dressed, thank you very much," Harry answered rolling his eyes.
"And how did you thank him, Cecily?"
"That's quite enough out of you!" Will covered his friend's mouth before anymore filth could come out of it.
A/N 2: And that's a wrap! Had so much fun with this one! I hope you all had fun with this one too! Brandon is the most well-adjusted of Mina's son's and the least messed up by her now dead husband. Looking forward too seeing what you all think! SSD
Casting:
Brandon Stirling- Matthew Goode
Welsh translation:
"Cecily, a wnewch chi briodi fi,"- Cecily will you marry me